Tuesday 10 April 2012 13.54 EDT
First published on Tuesday 10 April 2012 13.54 EDT

Five reasons To keep him

1. Stability

In an accelerated age squeezed into 140 characters, Roberto Mancini's critics state that two and a half years at a club with the riches of Manchester City is enough to have delivered a first championship since 1968. On a lesser budget, José Mourinho won Chelsea the league in his first season then repeated the trick the following year. Mancini's first two full campaigns now seem likely to end with no Premier League crown. But Mourinho is a one‑off, and if City do miss out again instinct suggests that persevering with Mancini will finally yield the ultimate dividend in May 2013.

2. City are improving

The Blues were sixth when Mancini took over and had been trophyless since 1976. Mancini has delivered the FA Cup and Champions League football. At the close of his first season – actually half a term – City finished fifth with 67 points, before placing third on 71 points last year, the amount already accrued in the current campaign, with six games remaining. Nine more points would make the 80 with which Manchester United won the title last season. Under Mancini the City graph is still rising.

3. He is a proven winner

After a garlanded playing career that featured Serie A titles and the Cup Winners' Cup at both Lazio and Sampdoria, Mancini the manager claimed three consecutive Serie A titles at Internazionale – the only man to achieve this. With the 47-year-old also previously winning the Coppa Italia when in charge of Fiorentina and Lazio, plus last season's FA Cup for City, Mancini has silverware at every club he has led. Not turning 50 until November 2014, he can only improve.

4. Who would you replace him with?

When Khaldoon al-Mubarak, the chairman, sits down with the owner, Sheikh Mansour, in the summer to assess where City are under Mancini and whether it is time for change, one of the two big questions is who might improve their project. Mourinho and Pep Guardiola are the instant answers. The Barcelona coach is the dream appointment as he could deliver carousel passing football while being a class act off the field. Mourinho comes with a copper-bottomed guarantee of the league title, but Mubarak and Mansour would not be as keen on the Special One's notorious antics. But the other major issue is this: would either actually fancy the job? If the answer is "no" then Mancini may be safe.

5. United respect him

Sir Alex Ferguson's branding of City as the "noisy neighbours" was revealing as it illustrated the depth of his respect for the club. That respect embraces Mancini – Ferguson is conscious that the Italian's illustrious playing and managing career means he fears no opponent. Since Ferguson took charge at Old Trafford in 1986 City have gone through 14 managers and Ferguson's declaration, "I wish it was 15", may tell Mansour and Mubarak all they require regarding whether Mancini is the man to knock United from their perch.

Five reasons To dump him

1. They should have won title/they failed in the Champions League

For a £1bn-plus spend City should have won the Premier League or the Champions League or both by now. The disappointment of the club's waning championship challenge is compounded by the inability to progress beyond the group stage of the continent's premier club competition. Despite those three league titles, Mancini lost his job at Internazionale due to a failure to conquer Europe, which his successor Mourinho subsequently did. The hierarchy in Abu Dhabi have taken note.

2. His man-management

There is praise for how Mancini stood toe-to-toe with Carlos Tevez by refusing to countenance a return before a personal and public apology. But he could hardly settle for less after stating that Tevez would not play for City again immediately following his refusal to warm-up for a Champions League game. If Mancini had dealt with Tevez in quieter fashion, he would not have lost his best performer for most of the season, and City's recent flat displays would not have featured a fatigued Sergio Agüero. Meanwhile, his handling of Mario Balotelli has provoked great debate and resulted on Sunday in a third red card this season.

3 . Tactics – is there a plan B?

The sole answer seems to be Edin Dzeko. If he plays City tailor their approach to the 6ft 4in target man who provides an aerial threat normally lacking. Another criticism can be that Mancini's side is too narrow with too few recent sightings of Micah Richards or Gaël Clichy as overlapping full-backs. The question should also be asked regarding what Mancini's strategy was for when David Silva's sorcery faded and Agüero's goals dried up, as has occurred recently.

4. The overuse of David Silva

The last assist the Spaniard provided was for a Samir Nasri goal in the 3-2 home win against Tottenham Hotspur on 22 January, and he is yet to score in the Premier League this year. Silva has been carrying an ankle problem, yet as the injury moved him from game‑changer to bit-part player who has not completed a league match since late February, Mancini continued to start the attacking midfielder until this overuse caught up with him, and a knee problem meant he was unable to face Arsenal on Sunday.

5. The deployment of Nasri and Adam Johnson

At Arsenal Nasri was desperate to move from his wide berth to the playmaker role occupied by Cesc Fábregas and had been performing dazzlingly enough in that role while the Spaniard was injured, prior to his departure to Barcelona, to cause Mancini to buy him. Why he was not the solution to Silva's fading form is a puzzle. Nasri has often started – but with Silva, not in place of him. Johnson can also be filed in the missed opportunity department: only 10 league starts for a forward who has still managed five goals appears to be a waste of a talent whom Mancini could have utilised to freshen City up.